Expanding Viral Diversity in Rice Fields by Next-Generation Sequencing

In rice fields, rice plants usually grow alongside wild weeds and are attacked by various invertebrate species. Viruses are abundant in plants and invertebrates, playing crucial ecological roles in controlling microbial abundance and maintaining community structures. To date, only 16 rice viruses have been documented in rice-growing regions. These viruses pose serious threats to rice production and have traditionally been identified only from rice plants and insect vectors by isolation techniques. Advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have made it feasible to discover viruses on a global scale. Recently, numerous viruses have been identified in plants and invertebrates using NGS technologies. In this review, we discuss viral studies in rice plants, invertebrate species, and weeds in rice fields. Many novel viruses have been discovered in rice ecosystems through NGS technologies, with some also detected using metatranscriptomic and small RNA sequencing. These analyses greatly expand our understanding of viruses in rice fields and provide valuable insights for developing efficient strategies to manage insect pests and virus-mediated rice diseases.